Lots of Court Speculation, but No Pick Yet

By Ben Pershing
Attention, Supreme Court junkies: President Obama is not expected to name a nominee to succeed David Souter until at least next week, so there's no need to cancel those weekend plans. That's unless your name is Sotomayor, Kagan, Wood or Granholm, in which case you might want to stay close by the phone and be prepared to answer questions about your past decisions and comments. Oh, and make sure you've paid your taxes.

While a small team of Obama advisers vets candidates, Ruth Bader Ginsburg has taken the unusual step of talking openly to USA Today about her desire to see another woman appointed to the court. When, if ever, has a sitting member of the court publicly lobbied for a particular nominee or type of nominee? Given that many of the potential candidates that have been mentioned so far for the post have been women, is Obama setting his supporters up for disappointment if he chooses to nominate a man?

We don't have a nominee yet, but we do know who will lead the loyal opposition. Jeff Sessions was officially elevated yesterday to the top GOP slot on the Judiciary Committee. The Alabaman warned yesterday against Obama picking someone whose "personal views" interfere with his or her interpretation of the law. But Sessions also called Obama "so nice" and, more importantly, said there would have to be "extraordinary circumstances" before Republicans would consider filibustering the president's pick.

Go replay that film, "Enemy of the State." It is time to again save the nation.

And I will bet you that local law enforcement, which is waking up and smelling the coffee, will be right there with you.

The "intelligence-based policing" tactic sold them some bad intel -- draining their resources, distracting them from their primary mission, and making "the locals" unwitting accomplices in the destruction of many thousands of unjustly targeted citizens and their families.

Anyone as excited about this as I am? I sort of love High Court selections. How much of a fight could the Republicans put up on this? If they really fight on something, the "party of no" label they are trying to shed might stick even more...

Also, if you dig politics, check out my Letters To the President series. I'm writing one wacky letter a day: www.knockoutlit.org/brett.html